My farm cats, seem to enjoy watching me garden. They have the run of the farm, but seem to love, doing their business in the flower beds, where I have just worked. I want to keep my flower beds off limits to the cats. Any suggestions?

It was suggested to me that I bury chicken wire about 1/2" deep and cover with soil. Your plants will still come up but the cats like to dig and can't dig through the chicken wire so this discourages them.

Answers

I would plant some coleus canina it is also called scare the cat plant. They do not like the smell of it nor do dogs the plant puts off the smell of a tom cat. But is not detected by our noses just their's.

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There are also sprays that are marketed to keep animals away but they have to be applied over and over again. Coleus canina is an annual so you plant it in the spring each year and your problem is solved.

I am having a big issue, with stray neighbor cats in my area, pooping in my garden bed. The thing is, that it is just that one garden bed out of 4 that the cats keep going in. The bed is not very big and it is outside our front door. I have tried using coffee grounds, because I have heard that will help, also have read that orange peels and stuff work, but here are my concerns. For one, the bed is outside our front door and I am concerned they will attract more flies than I would like, and two, I am starting to wonder if, since that is the only bed they will use, if maybe they have just put their mark on it and no matter what I out down, it will not repel them, because they have made their "mark" on it.

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I am wondering if maybe I should just start new and empty out the flower bed completely and get new dirt and soil?

Answers

You can use several methods to stop the cats from pooping in your flower beds. Put sticks and branches in the flower beds.Use a spike mat around your garden and near the flower bed.Use strong scents such as citrus in this area.Spread around some crushed pepper in your flower bed.

Answers:

Keeping Cats Out of Flower Beds

Well, this may not be relevant to your situation, but here is mine! I have a very large patch of sand I use for my desert gardening. The dang neighbor's barn cats were using it for their litter box. But this this year I added six new cacti - I think the cactus patch is thick enough now. Not a single new cat poop. Suggestion:? make it uncomfortable for them to use, pruned rose branches, red pepper, or pine cones. Wendopolis, Cyinda, PICO, and T&T Grandma have the right idea too. Different methods work for different situations. (07/16/2010)

I live in the middle of nowhere. I have an outside cat that uses my flower beds as a litter box. I have tried mothballs, foil, human hair, sprays from stores and garden centers. None of these work.

She has now killed all of my plants. If I cannot find something that works, she is going to have to find a new owner, because the smell is horrible. Anything would be appreciated, because other than that she is a great cat!

Answers:

Keeping Cats Out of Flower Beds

Try sprinkling cayenne pepper where you don't want the cat to go. Use a "lot", like enough to cover the ground thickly. This was the only thing that kept cats from digging in my flowers in CA. Good luck! (04/24/2009)

Keeping Cats Out of Flower Beds

Cats are supposed to hate citrus or orange smell. You might buy an orange or citrus scented room freshener at the $1 store and try spraying that on your plants. (You can also buy a high-end room spray made from real citrus at a health food store if the dollar store spray doesn't work.) Also put lemon, grapefruit, and/or orange peels in your flowerbed! Be sure to change them with new fresh peels every few days. You'll have to spray the plants once or twice a day until you cat finds somewhere else he prefers.

You could also make him an alternative place to go potty, by pouring sandbox sand in a spot fairly close to the flower bed. I bet you cat would prefer the sand to the garden eventually. Be sure to put his scent in the sand as a "calling card". This sand can be bought at Home Depot or Walmart. Ask for sandbox sand (it has no chemicals) the sand made for patios has a weedkiller in it. (04/24/2009)

Keeping Cats Out of Flower Beds

Keeping Cats Out of Flower Beds

Make a mix of equal parts of black pepper, cayenne pepper, dry hot mustard, and that pepper mix of ground peppers they use on pizza. Put in a shaker bottle and sprinkle where you don't want them. It works on dogs, too. After watering you will have to replace some about every 3-4weeks, I think. I use it around my yard and on the tops of walls and fences. It works well. (05/01/2009)

Keeping Cats Out of Flower Beds

Keeping Cats Out of Flower Beds

I went to the store and bought a few bags of bamboo skewers and placed them about 6 inches apart in rows next to the plants in the flower bed the cat had no room to get in between the skewers and gave up trying. I left them there for the first season and the next they had no interest in the flower bed. The plants will eventually grow and hide the skewers so you will still have a pretty flower bed. Good luck. (05/01/2009)

Keeping Cats Out of Flower Beds

Keeping Cats Out of Flower Beds

Keeping Cats Out of Flower Beds

Cats hate the smell of citrus. Please don't use moth balls. As you found they usually don't work and they are poisonous to cats. Get yourself some oranges and scatter the peels and segments too if you want around in your garden. You can also spritz the area with orange or lemon scented water. You will have to replace the peels with fresh ones after they have dried out and no longer have any scent. Just leave the old ones there and add new. I learned this years ago and have always kept my cats out of the Christmas tree with oranges on the bottom branches. Good luck. (05/02/2009)

Keeping Cats Out of Flower Beds

Just a short post script. Make sure your cat has some place else to do its business. You might consider leaving a litter box outside if you wish to keep it as an outdoor cat. Otherwise you don't leave her much choice as to where to go. (05/02/2009)

Keeping Cats Out of Flower Beds

This would be a horrible problem to have. I use my flower beds for my herb gardens, mixing in here and there makes pretty gardens. Also use part of the flower garden for my cherry/grape/pear tomatoes and pepper plants. They like the flower beds better at my house (more attention?? maybe).

I guess try putting the cat on a leash for a while, curtailing the straying, chicken wire across the plants? Just plain squirt bottle of water and be there when it uses the garden? Make an outside litter box available? I don't know, I have got a German Shorthair dog who opens doors, cupboards, and helps herself. I finally started putting her treats in a glass jar, as she carries Tupperware off looking for snacks. Sometimes not as gentle in opening those! (05/23/2009)

Keeping Cats Out of Flower Beds

I had a serious problem with the neighborhood cats using our flower bed, usually at night. This cured them all the first time they came even close. Get a motion sensor light and hard wire it to a regular plug so you can plug it into a ground-fault protected outdoor plug-in. Buy an adapter to screw in to one of the light bulb sockets to plug in an old noisy skill saw or other junk tool that screams when you turn it on. (Remove the blade first.)

Use a zip-cord to lock the trigger on and set it up in the flower bed. Set the sensitivity you want and set the switch to "test" so it doesn't stay on long. Any animal that comes in range will get the fright of their life and never come near that area again. Just set it and forget it. Works in many areas, can make a good burglar alarm around outdoor equipment, vehicles, in sheds or whatever. (02/04/2010)